Amtrak plans to construct a new 2-mile tunnel to replace the aged Baltimore and Potomac tunnel, and it is counting on funding in the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill to cover much of the project’s $4 billion tab
BALTIMORE—When the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad completed its 1.4-mile tunnel in 1873, a local newspaper hailed it as “one of the greatest enterprises of the kind that has ever been executed.”
Amtrak says the proposed tunnel, to be named for abolitionist Frederick Douglass, would be a prime candidate for some of the approximately $30 billion in the infrastructure bill for major projects, though the measure doesn’t earmark money for the tunnel replacement. Amtrak and Maryland plan to apply jointly to the U.S. Department of Transportation for funding.
Amtrak says the new tunnel would take 10 to 12 years to complete, with boring expected to start in 2026 and last six years. Officials say excavation work to prepare for massive, wormlike boring machines could begin within three years. The current tunnel would remain open afterward so four freight trains a week could continue using it.
Eric Goldwyn, an assistant professor of urban planning at New York University, said a new tunnel is likely needed, but he questioned the projected cost and construction timetable. Preliminary engineering found that construction isn’t expected to damage any homes, Amtrak said, and it would work with property owners should damage occur. Mr. Ensor said the railroad would compensate owners of 500 to 600 properties for the right to tunnel underneath.
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